Perfect weather.

Perfect weather

Lazy idyllic precious days

Bees buzzing about in the summer haze.

There is barely enough breeze to stir the grassy threads

Of tall foxgloves amongst the flower beds.

A cloudless sky of such clear blue

Bright butterflies dance their brief rendezvous.

The clarity of bird song on still warm air.

A day so beautiful, a jewel so rare.

An English summer sweet as strawberry

To be savoured in the mind, preserved deliciously.

By Izzy Silver

Walk from the Wyche to the singing Kettle, Malvern Hills, Worcestershire.

I enjoyed a very windy Sunday walk yesterday. It certainly blew away the cobwebs. The plentiful rain we have been experiencing lately means it is very lush and green at the moment. Park at the Wyche church carpark and then walk south along the path furthest away from the church, if you want to follow this walk.

Happy Sheep

Pine cones in the tree canopy

Fox gloves

The pathway

Lovely cows

More lovely cows along the pathway.

Tea time special

Outside area

 Normally I don't advertise shops etc. The Garden Tea Room is just opposite the Great Whitley church, and despite it being the Easter holidays, (although I will give it that the day was quite cold) there were only two families eating. This is a great shame as the prices were very reasonable and the food was good. All the cakes and things were homemade and both I and those with me really enjoyed our food. We had a couple of cream tea's, and the scones were light and delightful, someone had the Victoria sponge and said it was good. I had the lemon drizzle cake and it was light and moist and perfectly lemony. Best of all they made proper tea, in a proper ceramic tea pot. Lovely.

Some of the cakes

Indoor dining area

Conservatory area

One of the flowers in conservatory

Whitley Court ruins and fountains.

The Perseus and Andromeda fountain

Detail in the ceiling of one of the formal garden follys

Inside the ruins dining room

 Today I visited Whitley Court, near Worcester. Once home to the Foley and Dudley families, but now in the care of English Heritage, the ruins and fountains are well worth a visit.

A fire in 1937 destroyed the internal decor and much of the inner structure of the once great country house. The beautiful exoskeleton that remains still appears complete from a distance. The damage in someways gives the house a fairy-tale shadowy dream like feel. When you enter the ruins the rooms seem surprisingly small when you compare them to the surviving photographs of the once ornately decorated grandure. Perhaps it is this incongrulousness which makes it seem unreal, and you are an overly large Alice figure.

The ruins sit in formal gardens, designed by William Andrew Nesfield and built under Samuel Daukes. Within these are two magnificent fountains. The fountain of the goddess Flora, with her four worshiping tritons, like the house is a magnificent relic, (though hopefully one that maybe restored).

The great fountain depicting Perseus and Andromeda was restored to fully working order in 2002. During the season, (Easter to early Autumn), the fountain performs a twenty minute "show" on the hour, (except at one o'clock).

Dining room as was.

The Perseus fountain mid "show"

Flora's fountain with house behind

House ruins with gold dome of nearby church visable

Inside the ruin

The view from one of the follys

Fountain detail